Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor quickly becoming known for his speed

Plain Dealer FileIf Terrelle Pryor's 40-yard dash time of 4.33 is accurate it would make him the fastest Buckeye.

COLUMBUS -- Ohio State players report for preseason camp at noon today and the first player to arrive at the team hotel should be Terrelle Pryor.

After all, he is the fastest Buckeye.

As the sophomore enters his first preseason camp as a starter -- after taking the job in the fourth game of last season -- let's lay down the baseline so everyone is clear what the Buckeyes are dealing with here.

The fastest guy on the team is the quarterback.

Fans may have heard this news already. It's based on 40-meter times from the spring. Center Mike Brewster reported Pryor's time to The Plain Dealer last month.

For all that the Buckeyes don't know going into Monday's first practice -- who the starting offensive tackles will be, how the linebacker competition will work out, how this group of receivers will battle for playing time -- Pryor's speed is a fact, and a fact worth noting.

His 40 time was a speedy 4.33. Sophomore receiver Lamaar Thomas said he ran a 4.37 and no one else ran under 4.4 when the players were timed early this summer. Thomas reported that low 4.4s came from receivers Ray Small and DeVier Posey and running back Brandon Saine.

"I'm not so sure he might not be one of the fastest guys in the conference," OSU coach Jim Tressel said of Pryor. "I'm not sure that's a bad thing. Our other guys aren't slow."

At the last two NFL Combines in Indianapolis, the fastest a quarterback ran in the 40 was a 4.55 posted twice, once by former West Virginia quarterback Pat White last year. You never know about tracks and timing systems, and Ohio State has a reputation for fast times, but Pryor is still .22 seconds under any quarterback in the last two drafts. Not bad.

Thomas wouldn't mind double-checking that Pryor in fact holds the title of fastest Buckeye.

"I hope to challenge him again to a race or something so we can figure this out," Thomas said. "I've got to get an open field and make this happen, make it open to the public and everything."

Thomas laughed at his plan, but just the idea is incredible: Pryor is 6-6 and 235 pounds; Thomas is 5-11 and 186.

Also: Returning 12 starters on offense and defense, the Buckeye rank eighth in the Big Ten in returning starters, ahead of only Wisconsin, Purdue and Penn State. . . . The annual night practice open to the public is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 24 but has not been finalized. . . . With the oral commitments of Florida receiver James Louis and Pennsylvania defensive back Chad Hagan in the last two weeks, the 2010 recruiting class has reached 11 members. A year ago, knowing they would be bringing in a larger class, the Buckeyes had 22 players in the class when camp started.